Synucleinopathies: Where we are and where we need to go

Inês Caldeira Brás, Antonio Dominguez-Meijide, Ellen Gerhardt, David Koss, Diana F. Lázaro, Patrícia I. Santos, Eftychia Vasili, Mary Xylaki, Tiago Fleming Outeiro (Lead / Corresponding author)

    Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

    74 Citations (Scopus)
    51 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    Synucleinopathies are a group of disorders characterized by the accumulation of inclusions rich in the a-synuclein (aSyn) protein. This group of disorders includes Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), multiple systems atrophy, and pure autonomic failure (PAF). In addition, genetic alterations (point mutations and multiplications) in the gene encoding for aSyn (SNCA) are associated with familial forms of Parkinson's disease, the most common synucleinopathy. The Synuclein Meetings are a series that has been taking place every 2 years for about 12 years. The Synuclein Meetings bring together leading experts in the field of Synuclein and related human conditions with the goal of discussing and advancing the research. In 2019, the Synuclein meeting took place in Ofir, a city in the outskirts of Porto, Portugal. The meeting, entitled "Synuclein Meeting 2019: Where we are and where we need to go", brought together >300 scientists studying both clinical and molecular aspects of synucleinopathies. The meeting covered a many of the open questions in the field, in a format that prompted open discussions between the participants, and underscored the need for additional research that, hopefully, will lead to future therapies for a group of as of yet incurable disorders. Here, we provide a summary of the topics discussed in each session and highlight what we know, what we do not know, and what progress needs to be made in order to enable the field to continue to advance. We are confident this systematic assessment of where we stand will be useful to steer the field and contribute to filling knowledge gaps that may form the foundations for future therapeutic strategies, which is where we need to go. (Figure presented.).

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)433-454
    Number of pages22
    JournalJournal of Neurochemistry
    Volume153
    Issue number4
    Early online date20 Jan 2020
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 May 2020

    Keywords

    • alpha-synuclein
    • dementia Lewy bodies
    • multiple system atrophy
    • neurodegeneration
    • Parkinson's disease
    • synucleinopathies
    • toxicity

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Biochemistry
    • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

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